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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
We hope this message finds you safe and warm after a week of significant winter weather. We also hope our Eagles were able to enjoy a few unexpected snow days. As we continue to dig out from the snow and ice, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our custodial team (Salvador, Rosa, Yeni, and Vilma) for their tireless efforts clearing walkways and preparing the building for our students' return.
It was recently announced that FCPS will remain closed on Monday, with the hope of opening on Tuesday with a 2-hour delay. As we prepare to return to school, please make note of the following:
- Our Bus and Kiss N' Ride loops are clear and operational. However, there is significant snow and ice piled around the parking lot. We expect a long Kiss N' Ride line and will not mark students tardy this week if delayed. Please use caution and drive slowly. We want all to be safe!
- There is currently no street parking on Lord Fairfax Rd., and less parking available in our lot than normal. Please utilize space within our bus lanes if visiting the school between 10:00-3:30.
- We have a busy week of evening events. Our Monday Band/Strings concert has been postponed. Unless we receive word that evening activities are cancelled, we will move forward with our Chorus Concert, Spelling Bee Finals, and Valentine's Dance. We certainly understand if you are not able to make it due to road conditions.
We look forward to welcoming students back soon and returning to our regular routines! Don't forget that Valentine's Dance tickets are available through MySchoolBucks through Tuesday!
Have great week, and thank you for taking the extra time needed to keep all of our community members safe.
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Tim Scesney, Assistant Principal
Holly Sims, Assistant Principal
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
Freedom Hill Family Resources
Breakfast/Lunch Menus
  
National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career. We are grateful for the work of our Ms. Kimura and Ms. Loftus at Freedom Hill. They work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS.
Will include:
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website.
From February 18 to March 19, 2026, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.
Important Meal Kit Information:
- Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
- Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
- Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
- Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.
Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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February 11, 2026 for week of February 18, 2026
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February 16, 2026 for the week of February 23, 2026
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February 23, 2026 for the week of March 2, 2026
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March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
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March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
Winter weather will be here before you know it! 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.
⛄ 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. 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.
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
 Hello FHES 3rd-6th grade families,
Soon our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 23, and Friday, March 6. While it is our hope that as many students as possible will participate, if you do not wish for your child to take part in this survey, please complete the opt out information HERE.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals. Thank you!
Upcoming Events:
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February 4 - School-wide Spelling Bee, 6:15-8:15PM, FHES Cafeteria
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February 5 - Science Fair participation forms due
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February 11 - PTA Meeting in the Library and via Zoom, 6PM (Agenda)
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February 20 - Science Fair, 6:30-8:00PM in the Cafeteria (ideas and project examples)
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February 25 - Family Dinner Out (FDO) @ Panera, 8364 Leesburg Pike, Vienna (Use code: FUND4U)
 THE SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING!
Freedom Hill's Science Fair is returning on Friday, Feb. 20th. The Science Fair is a great way to showcase something your child learned with a posterboard/tabletop presentation, demonstrate a cool hands-on experiment, or more! See the flyer for the form to fill out and an example tri-fold poster board. Need ideas? Great resources for ideas are at education.com and ScienceBuddies.
The form is due on Feb. 5th to Hubert at hubertchao@gmail.com or to the PTA Mailbox in the office.
If you need help getting the tri-fold poster board, we have a limited supply; contact Hubert at hubertchao@gmail.com.
We also need people to help with the Science Fair! Sign up here.
GET READY FOR VALENTINE CANDY GRAMS!
The Sixth Grade Class of 2026 is spreading kindness and cheer with this year’s Valentine Candy Gram Sale! From February 6–12, students can stop by the school’s main entrance between 9:05–9:20 AM to purchase a sweet message for a friend, teacher, or classmate. Each Candy Gram is only 50¢! You can also find their table at the Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 6 from 6:30–7:30 PM. Sixth graders will deliver the Candy Grams from February 7–13, each with a yummy lollipop or a fun non‑candy treat.
Look out for a flyer with order forms and additional details in next week’s Wednesday Folder, so you’ll have everything you need to join in the Valentine fun! All funds raised help support special Sixth Grade celebration activities.
Let’s fill our hallways with kindness and smiles this Valentine’s Day!
UPCOMING ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES
Support FCPS’ FY 2027 Proposed Budget
Fairfax County Public Schools’ FY 2027 Proposed Budget, presented by Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, reflects FCPS’ commitment to sustaining excellence, restoring critical positions and programs, and attracting and retaining strong educators and support staff, all of which directly impact our students’ success.
Now is the time for families to support this proposed budget by sharing our voices with county leaders. As the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors determines the level of funding provided to FCPS, we encourage you to begin by contacting our local representatives for the Providence District:
Supervisor Dalia Palchik | 
