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The Weekly Roar

Monday, January 12, 2026

Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, 1/14 – School visit for 6th graders attending Mark Twain Middle School next year (during the school day)
• Thursday, 1/15 – School visit for 6th graders attending Hayfield Secondary School next year (during the school day)
• Thursday, 1/15 – “Walk in My Shoes” inclusion activity during P.E. classes (Volunteers urgently needed, see article below for more information.)
• Friday, 1/16 – Spelling Bee registration/permission forms due to Mrs. Chozick by 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, 1/19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday, school, office, and SACC CLOSED
• Tuesday, 1/20 & Wednesday, 1/21 – PTA Restaurant Nights at La Fiamma (all day)
  
• Wednesday, 1/28 – End-of-Quarter 2-hour Early Release, students dismissed at 2:05 p.m., NO AFTER-SCHOOL CARE provided by the school
• Thursday, 1/29 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, students do not report
• Friday, 1/30 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, students do not report
• Wednesday, 2/4 – Hayfield Rising 7th Grade Parent Coffee, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Hayfield Middle School Lecture Hall
• Thursday, 2/5 – Celebration of Cultures Night/Winter CARE Night, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Friday, 2/6 – First Friday Family Zoom: “Creating a School Where Every Child Belongs,” 10:30 a.m.
• Monday, 2/16 – Presidents Day Holiday, school, office, and SACC CLOSED
• Tuesday, 2/17 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, students do not report; SACC open

In This Issue

• “Walk in My Shoes” Coming January 15! Volunteers Urgently Needed!
• First Friday with the Principals “New Year, New Goals” Video Now Available
• Make the Most of Math This Week!
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Next Monday
• Share Your Family’s Culture at Lane’s 2026 Celebration of Cultures Night – Thursday, February 5
• The Spelling Bee Is Coming Next Month; Deadline to Register Is This Friday, January 16!
• Upcoming Student Experience Survey at Lane Elementary
• Would You Like to Help Plan Lane’s 30th Birthday Party?
• 6th Grade Middle School Transition Events Continue
• Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages
• PTA News: Restaurant Nights at La Fiamma
• Parent Resources: Fighting the flu, winter community resources, upcoming webinars
• FCPS News & Activities: Follow the budget process

News & Notes

“Walk in My Shoes” This Thursday! Volunteers Urgently Needed!

As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and raising awareness about disabilities, Lane will host “Walk in My Shoes” during P.E. classes on Thursday, January 15. The purpose of this event is to give general-education students a broader understanding of the daily situations faced by some of their friends with developmental challenges and learning differences. The program fosters empathy for others and gets students thinking about how they might be able to help a friend.

Walk in My Shoes requires a lot of adult support to be successful. We are still looking for volunteers to assist with many different activities. Some time slots still do not have enough support to run effectively. Help is needed during the times below; the need from 1:55 to 2:55 p.m., supporting 1st and 2nd grade classes, is especially high.

• 9:30 – 11:45 a.m. (3rd through 6th grade students participating)
• 12:40 – 2:55 p.m. (kindergarten through 2nd grade).

Each volunteer will receive a script and information regarding their activity and the challenge being explored. Visit our “Walk in My Shoes” Sign-Up Genius to sign up. Thank you!

First Friday with the Principals “New Year, New Goals” Video Now Available

If you weren’t able to attend the First Friday with the Principals session “New Year, New Goals: Helping Your Child Set and Stick to Academic & Social Goals” last Friday, you can watch the video recording here. You can download the slide presentation here.

Make the Most of Math This Week!

FCPS invites you to experience a full week of family time with FREE stories, games, and math activities — all from the comfort of your home — during FCPS Math Week!

Math Week offers families an opportunity to experience math, literacy, history, and geography in a fun and positive way. All content is now available for families in English and Spanish.

Visit the Math Week website for games, stories, and other interactive activities for the whole family.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Next Monday!

As a reminder, all schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 19, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday. On this day, we honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. King and his dedication to equality and serving others.

Share Your Family’s Culture at Lane’s 2026 Celebration of Cultures Night — Thursday, February 5!

The new year has begun, and that means it’s time to start getting excited for one of our favorite annual family-focused events — Celebration of Cultures Night! This very special event gives all Lane families the chance to share their culture and traditions with our school. It features displays, performances, crafts, and FOOD from all over the world provided by our own Lane Lion families!

Celebration of Cultures Night will be held this year on Thursday, February 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. It will also serve as our Winter Cultural Awareness & Recognition Event (CARE) Night and will include special areas with displays and activities recognizing Black History Month, Lunar New Year, and Ramadan.

This is an event your family won’t want to miss! Mark your calendars now for February 5 and watch Wednesday Folders this week for a flyer with more details on how your family can participate and share your culture!

If you already know you want to participate in this event, please sign up here.

The Spelling Bee Is Coming Next Month; Deadline to Register Is This Friday, January 16!

The Spelling Bee buzz has begun! If your child might be interested in participating this year, please mark your calendar for Thursday, February 12. The bee is open to all students in grades 1 through 6 and is completely optional. Practice sessions and mandatory grade-level preliminary bees will be held before school for several weeks prior to the bee, which will be held after school.

Registration packets with permission forms were sent home before Winter Break. If your child is interested in participating in the bee, please fill out, sign, and return the permission form as soon as possible and no later than 4:30 p.m. THIS FRIDAY, January 16.

Parents/guardians of students who have registered will receive an email confirmation by Friday, January 16, at 8 p.m. If you think you registered and do not receive an email, please contact Mrs. Chozick at schozick@fcps.edu as soon as possible.

For more details, watch this video from Mrs. Chozick.

Upcoming Student Experience Survey at Lane Elementary

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 on February 23. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 23, and Friday, March 6. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.

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.

Would You Like to Help Plan Lane’s 30th Birthday Party? As you know, Lane is celebrating 30 years of serving students and the community this year. To mark that milestone, we — with the support of the Lane PTA — are planning a big community celebration for Friday, April 17, as well as other mini celebrations leading up to it, and would like to put together a committee to help develop these plans. We will likely meet once a month from February to April. (Meeting dates to be determined.) If you would like to participate, please fill out this form to let us know. We will follow up with more details in the next couple of weeks. Thanks in advance for your interest and support. All are welcome!

6th Grade Middle School Transition Events Continue

Our oldest Lane Lions — our 6th graders — have begun the process of moving on to middle school. Our 6th graders will attend either Hayfield Secondary School or Mark Twain Middle School, depending on where they live.

If your 6th grade Lane Lion will attend Hayfield Secondary School, please make note of these upcoming middle school transition events:

• Hayfield tour for students (during the school day) – Thursday, January 15
• Parent Coffees:
  
  • Wednesday, February 4, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Middle School Lecture Hall (snow date to be determined)
  • Wednesday, March 4, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Middle School Lecture Hall (snow date to be determined)

If your 6th grade Lane Lion will attend Mark Twain Middle School, please make note of these upcoming transition events:

• Twain tour for students (during the school day) – Wednesday, January 14

For further information, please reach out to Stephen Fitzgerald at Twain at sjfitzgerald@fcps.edu or 703-313-3720 or Dr. Perry at Lane.

Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages

FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery is now open! The program offers students in kindergarten and 1st grade the opportunity to learn in English and another language — French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish — for half of each instructional day.

The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.

Families applying for 1st grade must do so by Thursday, February 12, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2, at 4 p.m.

Informational meetings will begin in January. View dates and details on the FCPS calendar. If you have questions, please contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600.

PTA News

Savor Some Italian Fare at La Fiamma on Lane Restaurant Nights This Week!

La Fiamma Italian Kitchen is hosting Lane Elementary families on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, January 20th and 21st. A percentage of all sales to Lane families all day will be donated back to our school.

Parent Resources

Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs

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.

Winter Resources for Families

A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or others they know need assistance during these cold winter months. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.

Upcoming Free Webinars from the Family Resource Center

How to Develop Motivation with Your Child

Friday, January 16, 2026, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Join us to learn strategies for teaching your child adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving. We'll cover practical ways to navigate unexpected changes, manage disappointments, and help your child thrive in uncertainty.

Register here

The Connected Family: Navigating the Digital World Together

Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6:30 – 8 p.m. in person at West Potomac High School, 6500 Quander Road in Alexandria

Technology connects us like never before, but it’s important to know how to stay safe while using it. This family workshop provides hands-on learning about internet safety to inform families of:

• Today’s popular social sites and apps used by students
• Effective strategies to engage youth in discussions regarding internet safety
• 7 primary topics to discuss with youth that will remain important from kindergarten through adulthood.

Join FCPS Intervention and Prevention Services to learn how your family can build healthy, secure, and positive habits online together.

Interpreters and childcare will be available.

For details and registration information, visit the FCPS Family Academy website.

Futures Planning Workshop — Creating the Framework for Futures Planning, Session 2

(in person at the Family Resource Center, 2334 Gallows Road, Room 100, Dunn Loring, VA 22027)

Friday, January 23, 2026, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

In this in-person session, participants will have access to a hands-on, thought-provoking workshop geared to get them started with effectively taking long term care of their children with special needs.

Register here

Tips to Reduce Parent Stress and Anxiety

Wednesday, January 27, 2026, 10 – 11:30 a.m. (CORRECTED DATE!)

Join Rachel Bailey as she discusses how parenting today can feel like a constant cycle of pressure, guilt, and second-guessing. In this workshop, you will learn why certain situations feel so overwhelming (it’s not just the situation itself!) as well as specific strategies to reduce the overwhelm. You’ll also learn how to respond from a place of steadiness rather than reactivity, resulting in less anxiety, more confidence, and a greater sense of ease in everyday parenting.

Register here

FCPS News & Activities

Follow Our Budget Process

Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks: