Thanksgiving Fall Lunch.

Cardinal Forest ES is excited to invite you to
our Friends and Family Fall Lunch on
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST!
Parents and caregivers are invited to join their student(s) for a festive lunch right here at school. Please RSVP here:
https://forms.gle/MD6MBu8Usn197Wk57
When you arrive enter door 1 and have your ID ready. We will get you signed in and off to eat lunch with your student. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to check in. If you would like to purchase lunch, please make sure you have sufficient funds in your student’s MySchoolBucks account or you can purchase a lunch ticket at door 1 with
cash or check. Student price: $3.25 / Adult price $5

Kindergarten 10:30am - 11am
1st Grade 11am - 11:30am
2nd Grade 11:30am - 12:00pm
3rd Grade 12pm - 12:30pm
5th/6th Grade 12:30pm - 1pm
4th Grade 1pm - 1:30pm

Resources

Impact of Federal Shutdown on Local Community: Fairfax County is home to around 80,000 federal employees and thousands of federal contractors. Its Federal Workforce Resource Hub is intended to help navigate current and future issues for residents, government employees, active military/veterans, contractors, nonprofits and businesses who may be affected by actions, changes, or disruptions to federal services or employment.

Community Resources for Families in Need: Through partnerships with community-based organizations and other Fairfax County agencies, Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) provides information, referrals, and advocacy to help individuals connect with services, including: basic needs (food, shelter, clothing), financial assistance, health care services, and referrals to services and resources.

Visit the CSP website or call 703-222-0880 for assistance.

Family Academy Offers Opportunities to Support Parents and Guardians: The FCPS Family Academy offers resources and in-person and virtual classes, workshops, webinars, and programs for families. The following webinars and workshops will take place in November:

ABA Family Training: Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home
Co-Parenting: Two Parents, Two Homes (in Spanish)
Supporting Your Military-Connected Student in Secondary School
Moving on to Life in the Community

Other Family Resource Center webinars will cover topics such as communication with twice exceptional children, family engagement in the special education process, restorative justice practices in schools and at home, and improving routines.

Visit the Family Academy Catalog to learn more.

How to Access or Donate Food to Those in Need: View the Emergency Food Access Providers webpage to see where to access food or donate to your local food bank.

Military Family & Federal Government Employee Resources and Information during Government Shutdown

Military Market Event to Feed Military Families During Government Shutdown

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/military-market-event-to-feed-military-families-during-government-shutdown-tickets-1966129179302

When: Saturday November 15 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Where: Paisano’s Pizza Lorton location 9429 Lorton Market Street Lorton VA 22079 in Lorton Marketplace

National Family Engagement Month

November is National Family Engagement Month! This month is a time to celebrate and recognize families as a child’s first and most important teacher and partners in learning. Strong family-school partnerships have a lasting impact on student success.

The new FCPS Family Academy is a targeted outreach effort to empower and build capacity, connections, cognition, confidence, and awareness through interactive learning experiences, tools, and resources for families in FCPS through a one-stop approach.

Pyramid Challenge - November 15th, 10am-Noon.

Official registration has closed for the West Springfield Pyramid Challenge, but your student can still run on race day - just signup at the CFES table on the day of the race! Check the grade-level schedule here and join us for the fun at Irving Middle School!

Interested in volunteering at the challenge? Sign-up to volunteer here! Thank you for your support!

The Pyramid Challenge is partnering with Echo for a Coat, Toy, & Food Drive at the Pyramid Challenge! See the Lists below for what to donate or make a monetary donation here!

Teacher Workroom - November 18th, 9:30am

Looking to help at school, but not sure that you can make it weekly for Tuesday Folders? Join us for the next Teacher Workroom on Tuesday, November 18th and monthly after that! Starting at 9:30, check in at the kiosk in the front office and meet us in the upstairs workroom! We’ll be helping teachers complete projects for their classrooms - cutting, copying, stapling, bulletin boards, and more! Come for as long as you can, and leave when you need to! Thank you for your help and support!

Turkey Bingo/Raffle Fundraiser is postponed and transitioning to Cupid Bingo/Raffle Fundraiser - Save the Date: Friday, February 6, 2026

Due to the government shutdown, we are postponing the Turkey Bingo/Raffle Fundraiser and transitioning to a Cupid Bingo/Raffle Fundraiser which will take place February 6, 2026. Given the impact of the shutdown on our community, we feel postponing is the best way forward. We are excited to come together as a community for this great event in February!”