Good afternoon families!!
It's hard to believe how fast this year is going. We only have two weeks remaining in the 3rd quarter!! There are some upcoming events here at school to celebrate children and parents. On April 3rd, we will be hosting our "Sweets with a Sweetie" event in the cafeteria. This is always a fun event for the kids to have a donut with a loved one (provided by the PTA!!). On April 4th, we will be celebrating our 2nd Annual International Day in the cafeteria from 5:00-7:30 pm. We also have our Purple Up! Day on April 9th and will have a celebration on the blacktop from 4:30-5:30.
With SOLs starting in about six weeks, I wanted to share a change in how makeup SOLs are conducted. Previously, if your student scored in a range that allowed for a makeup, we would contact you to fill out the form for the administration of the makeup. This year, parents are being asked to "opt in" to possible makeups before the testing starts. So, if you do not "opt in" and your child scores in a range to get a second chance, they will not be given that opportunity. More information can be found below. I do encourage you to fill out the form. Last year ~80% of our students who participated in makeups passed the second time!
A friendly reminder that we have a few schedule alterations coming up over the next few weeks. March 31, April 1, and April 14-18 are all student holidays. We also have a 3 hour early closing on April 21 and we'll send out a link for your intentions (NOTE: This is the Monday after spring break!). Only two more to go!
Have a GREAT weekend!
Sincerely,
Mark Bibbee
Principal
Cherry Run ES
March 31 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED
April 1 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN
April 3 - Sweets w/your Sweetie - 8:30 - 9:15 - Cafeteria
April 4 - International Day - 5:00 - 7:30 - Cafeteria
April 9 - Purple Up! - Day of the Military Celebration - 4:30-5:30 - Blacktop
April 14-18 - SPRING BREAK - No Students - School is CLOSED
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Students in grades 3-6 participate in state assessments each year. State assessments measure how students are learning the state standards.
Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science, including an integrated reading and writing (IRW) component;
SOL Content Areas Tested (Spring):
Reading - Grade 3, 4, 5, 6
IRW - Grade 5
Science - Grade 5
Math - Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Advanced Math students)
SOL Parent/Guardian Permission to Retest:
The Virginia Board of Education allows elementary and middle school students who fail their spring Standards of Learning (SOL) tests by a narrow margin to retake the test before the end of the school year. Retesting is available when a student fails their first SOL attempt with a score of 375-399. (A score of 400 is considered passing for SOL tests.) Note that retests are not offered for the integrated reading and writing (IRW) component of the grade 5 and grade 8 SOL reading tests. A decision not to allow retesting will not impact your student’s course grade or academic record.
Parent/guardian permission is required for the school to retest any student in grades 3-8. If you believe that your student would benefit from a second opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on the spring SOL test, submit your decision using the Parent Digital Consent application
https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent
FCPS Budget — Our Students Deserve the BestMore than $240 million of FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget is dedicated to increasing compensation for our teachers and staff to stay competitive and reduce turnover. Currently, FCPS ranks fifth out of eight neighboring districts in regards to starting salary for teachers with a master’s degree.
Our families expect — and our students deserve — the best teachers.
Next Steps in the Budget Process
The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22, and then the Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak.
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.
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