Stenwood Hive Happenings

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Hive Happenings Newsletter

Hello Stenwood Families,

It has been another busy week in the Hive!

This past Saturday, eight of our Stingers were among the nearly 700 students who participated in the All-County Chorus concert. For those who would like to enjoy the performance, the concert will air on Red Apple 21. A huge thank you to Mrs. Weingast for all her hard work in supporting our students.

Also on Saturday, nearly 30 third- through sixth-grade Stingers participated in the Virginia Science Olympiad at Oakton High School. Our students had an impressive showing, especially considering it was Stenwood’s first time attending! Thank you to their coach, Radha Kumar, for everything she did to get this program up and running.

Sunday morning featured the PTA’s Bee Kind Run. Despite the cold and rain, so many families and staff members showed up to run together! A huge thanks to the PTA and all of our Bee Kind Run sponsors.

The community spirit continued into Wednesday evening, where many families gathered to enjoy dinner at the Silver Diner. Then, last night, we were delighted to see so many families at our second annual This Is Me Night. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diverse accomplishments our students are proud of; thank you to everyone who attended.

Our third and fourth graders also enjoyed field trips this week! The fourth graders headed to Gunston Hall Thursday, while our third graders spent a lovely day at Frying Pan Park on Friday.

We celebrated our wonderful office staff for Administrative Professionals Week. As you know, our office team serves the Stenwood community every single day in countless ways. We are so grateful for everything they do for our students, staff, and families!

Thank you to our Go Green Team and their leads Ms. Opsahl and Ms. Riddick for an eco-inspired Earth Week and all the work they do throughout the year to support Stenwood’s efforts to be environmental stewards. They have been getting their hands in the dirt quite a bit lately as they clean up and plant in the garden beds by the Kiss n Ride Loop!

Below you will find information about the following items:

Optional: Class Placement Input for the 2026-2027 School Year - Final Reminder
AAP Spring Newsletters - NEW
Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar - Reminder
Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments - Reminder
SEL Screener Results in SIS ParentVUE - NEW
Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award - NEW
Required Immunizations - NEW
National Library Week - NEW
Make Your Voice Heard on the FY 2027 Budget - NEW
Pre-K and Early Head Start Programs - Reminder
Yearbook Ordering - FINAL DEADLINE 5/1
Original, Makeup, & Retake Pictures Are Now Online! - Reminder
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Reminder
Stenwood PTA - Reminder

Sincerely,

Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu

Optional: Class Placement Input for the 2026-27 School Year - Due Today

If your child is returning to Stenwood next school year, we offer you the opportunity to share any comments you would like regarding class placements. If you know that your family will not be joining us for the 2026-27 school year, please reach out to Ms. Burke, mpburke@fcps.edu or 703-208-7600 to let us know.

Our staff will be working on tentative class groupings this spring, with classroom assignments finalized in late August. As we make these placements, we consider many factors including individual student information, teacher input, and social relationships. Every class will have a blend of children with diverse needs, personalities, and learning interests. Due to the many factors we must consider in creating classroom placements, including the reassignment of some teachers to a different grade level and the hiring of new teachers, requests for a specific teacher cannot be honored.

If you have information that you believe is pertinent to your child’s placement for next year, please complete the optional Class Placement Input Form by Friday, April 24^th for it to be taken into consideration. There is no need to complete the form if you do not have any information you would like us to consider. Thank you.

AAP Spring Newsletters

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners. If you wish to share information about your student for Spring School-Based Screening, you may email Kaleigh Hartman the Subject-Specific/Part-Time Referral Form by May 8^th.

You can view the newsletter below:

Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar

The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.

The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17^th, 2026 — has not changed.

Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments

Our students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.

Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.

It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify us as soon as possible. Here is our SOL Schedule for 3^rd through 6^th grades:

Wednesday, May 6^th - 5^th and 6^th grade Reading

Thursday, May 7^th - 3^rd and 4^th grade Reading

Friday, May 8^th - Reading make-ups

Thursday, May 14^th - 5^th and 6^th grade Math (includes Algebra)

Friday, May 15^th - 3^rd and 4^th grade Math

Monday, May 18^th - Math make-ups

Wednesday, May 20^th - 5^th grade Science

Thursday, May 21^st- Make-ups for all subjects

Learn more about how to support your child..

SEL Screener Results in SIS ParentVUE

Students in grades 3-6 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, we will share copies with you directly.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.

Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.

Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18.

The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.

Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.

Required Immunizations for Rising 7^th and Rising 12^th Graders

The following immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grade each school year.

All students entering 7^th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

To meet the Tdap requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 7 or older.
To meet the MenACWY requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
To meet the HPV requirement, the vaccination should be given between the ages of 11 to 12 or as early as 9 years old.

As a parent/guardian, you may decide that your child will not receive the HPV vaccination. The school does not require documentation if a parent/guardian elects for their student not to receive the HPV vaccination.

All students entering 12th grade are to receive two doses of the Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) prior to the beginning of school. To meet the MenACWY 12^th grade requirement, one dose must be administered at age 16 or older.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s health care provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Please consider getting your child’s immunizations early so that they can attend school in the fall. Summer is a busy time for families and healthcare providers. As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time.

Immunization Events for FCPS Students FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations.

Dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. Additional immunization resources are also available.

National Library Week

April is School Library Month and it's a great time to celebrate the essential role that school librarians play in the lives of students. School librarians ensure students have access to a wide variety of high-quality books and resources that connect them to the world and build a culture of literacy. Librarians develop lessons that are meaningful to students and help them develop critical thinking, inquiry, and information literacy skills. They support learning across all subject areas by teaching students the skills to be independent problem-solvers and creative thinkers. By creating a safe environment for all students to be engaged and curious learners, FCPS libraries are places where everyone belongs. Take a moment to learn more about FCPS Library Programs and share your appreciation of your school librarian!

Help FCPS Sustain Excellence: Make Your Voice Heard on the FY 2027 Budget

About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. While the in person Board of Supervisor public hearings have already happened, there is an online survey. Learn how the FCPS budget helps us sustain our excellence.

Pre-K and Early Head Start Programs

FCPS Pre-K and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children with economic and educational risk factors, ages 6 weeks to 4 years, living in Fairfax County.

Pre-K prioritizes 4-year-old applicants but also accepts applications for children who will be 3 years old by September 30 of the same year.

Early Head Start is located at three elementary schools — Clearview, Crestwood, and Dogwood — and accepts applications from pregnancy to 2 years old.

Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Space is limited and provided based on need, not on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications are accepted online, by email, by mail, or in person at the program office at 7423 Camp Alger Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.

If you have a question about the application process or status, please call 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).

Yearbook Ordering - FINAL DEADLINE 5/1!

Help your child remember the moments that made this school year special by ordering your copy of the Stenwood Elementary School Yearbook NOW at http://www.yearbookforever.com! The yearbook will feature memories that you and your child will want to look back on for years to come.

The company has a set amount they will print, so once they hit the limit, they will not print any additional yearbooks. The deadline has been extended and the new cutoff date to buy one is 5/1, if they are not sold out before then.

Original, Makeup, & Retake Images from Stenwood Elementary School Are Now Online!

Order yours today at vosphoto.com/underclass!

Use your student ID when prompted for the online code.

For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com

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 1st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Purple Up Day! is April 15, drawings for it would be due by March 1st. 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!

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