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Greetings Laurel Ridge Families,
What a fantastic, high-energy week it has been here at Laurel Ridge. It was a joy to have a full five days of learning and connection together. The highlights of our week were undoubtedly the spectacular Band and Chorus concerts. Music and the arts are not just "extras"; they are essential tools that foster discipline, boost cognitive development, and provide our students with a powerful creative outlet to express themselves. Seeing our students shine on stage is so much fun.
We capped off the week with a spirited celebration of the 100th Day of School! The kindergarten students look fabulous as they paraded through the hallways in their special shirts. To keep that "100 Day" momentum going at home this weekend, I encourage you to try a simple seasonal learning activity together. You might challenge your child to a "100-Second Physical Challenge" (how many jumping jacks or hops can they do in 100 seconds?) or gather 100 small items from the pantry to practice grouping by tens. These activities are a wonderful way to reinforce math concepts like estimation and counting while spending quality time together.
Finally, as we reflect on Kindness Week, here is a quick parent tip for navigating social-emotional dynamics: instead of asking "Who did you play with?", try asking, "How did you show kindness to someone else today, and how did it make you feel?" This question helps children recognize the internal reward of being a good friend and encourages them to process social interactions through a lens of empathy rather than just a list of activities. It’s a great way to help our Lions grow into compassionate leaders!
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Megan Counts
Laurel Ridge Elementary Principal
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Upcoming Laurel Ridge Events
Monday, February 16 - Holiday Presidents' Day
Tuesday, February 17 - Student Holiday
Wednesday, February 25 - 3 Hour early Release 12:55pm
Saturday, March 14 - Run for the Ridge! (see below)
Wednesday, March 18 - Family Math Night (see below)
Friday, March 20 - Holiday Eid al-Fitr
Wednesday, March 25 - 3 Hour early Release 12:55pm
Friday, March 27 - 2 Hour early Release 1:55pm
Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 3 - Spring Break
Monday, April 6 - Student Holiday
Friday, April 10 - Student Holiday - Rising Kindergartener Orientation 9am
Wednesday, April 29 - 3 Hour early Release 12:55pm
Wednesday, May 20 - 3 Hour early Release 12:55pm
Monday, May 25 - Holiday Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 26 - Student Holiday
Wednesday, May 27 - Holiday Eid al-Adha
Wednesday, June 17 - Last Day of School 1:55 Dismissal
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Calendar Reminder
No School Monday 2/16 and Tuesday 2/17
Reminder - Students do not have school on Monday 2/16 or Tuesday 2/17. Enjoy the long weekend!
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Black History Month Celebration
Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence
Families and community members are invited to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the voices shaping our future at FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration. Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m., at Carter G. Woodson High School.
The event will honor the rich history, strength, and contributions of the Black community through inspiring student performances and a powerful keynote address by Rev. Vernon C. Walton, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Light refreshments will be available.
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Run for the Ridge is Back!
Laurel Ridge families are invited to join us for our annual neighborhood fun run on Saturday, March 14. We begin with warm-ups led by our fantastic PE Teachers, and then cheer on our youngest Lions as they run the Kindergarten Dash. Then our runners race through the neighborhood as Lucky and staff members cheer them on!
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What: 5K fun run and Kindergarten dash
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Who: All Laurel Ridge Families and Staff
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When: Saturday, March 14th
8:00 am - warmups
8:15 am - Kindergarten Dash
8:30 am - 5K Run
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Where: Meet at the Laurel Ridge bus loop. Kindergarteners will run 40
yards. 5K runners will run 4 times around the block.
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Why: To raise money for our school and have fun!
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How: Your t-shirt purchase serves as your race registration. Be sure to read the waiver on the website before ordering. Please click here to order your shirt(s) and complete your race registration. **Please note - registration/sales end on 2/17.
If you have any questions, please contact Kellie Prosser at
kaprosser@fcps.edu.
Join us on Wednesday, March 18th from
6:00pm to 7:30pm for a night of math fun!
Math Night is a night of math games and activities designed to bring families, students, and teachers together while reinforcing concepts being learned in school.
Come enjoy the math, snacks, and fun and leave with great ways to support math skills at home!
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Preorder Your Yearbook!
Sales for our 2025-26 yearbook are open!
If you would like a copy of the 2025-26 Laurel Ridge Yearbook, preorder here: yearbookordercenter.com and use school code 29286.
Yearbooks cost $22 and will be sent home with students the last week of school.
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It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!
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. Register your child today! Contact our Laurel Ridge registrar at 703-426-3700 with any questions.
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.
Kindergarten Orientation
Learn About Kindergarten at Laurel Ridge
Our Kindergarten Orientation is being held on Friday, April 10th, from 9:00 – 10:30 to give parents of students entering Laurel Ridge in August an opportunity to learn more about kindergarten at our school. If your kindergartener is registered at Laurel Ridge, you and your student are welcome to join us!
We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Resources on the School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage provide parents with ways to support their children to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten.
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Transition Fair for Students in
Special Education
Planning for Life in and After High School for Students with IEPs
Families, caregivers, and educators of elementary and middle school students receiving special education services are invited to join Career and Transition Services (CTS) to learn about planning for life in and after high school.
The transition fair will take place on Wednesday, March 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Luther Jackson Middle School.
Ensuring the success of our students with disabilities after high school is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for an evening focused on planning for the future.
An exhibitor fair will include teachers and representatives from CTS high school courses, career academies, age 18-22 programs, and transition services for students with disabilities. This event also includes a presentation with a brief overview of transition services and a student/parent panel sharing firsthand experiences. Register in advance.
Meal Kits for Fasting Students
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.
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.
Summer Learning
Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students
Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.
Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps
Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open through Friday, June 5.
Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a weekly fine and performing arts camp for students in grades K-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students attend four daily classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts and work with experienced educators who create engaging, fun classes.
New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.
SR&R Survey
Survey on Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) Now Open for All Families and Middle and High School Students
On Monday, all FCPS parents/caregivers and middle and high school students received an email to participate in a voluntary and confidential survey. (Please check your spam folder if you have not received it.)
Questions refer to proposed changes to FCPS’ SR&R document for next year. This document outlines the rules that students are expected to follow, and guidelines for consequences if those expectations are not met. Possible changes include:
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Universal Discipline: Charts will list consequences and supports for students. They will help ensure that two students of the same grade will be treated fairly and receive the same level of support.
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Standards for In-School Suspensions of Students with Disabilities: Creating standards for how in-school suspensions are handled for students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan.
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Accommodations for Multilingual Learner Student Statements: Providing translation accommodations when Multilingual Learner students provide statements about disciplinary incidents.
The survey will be open until Friday, February 20. Survey materials are available online.
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