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The Weekly Roar

Monday, April 13, 2026

Happy Birthday, Lane!

Thirty years ago this week, Lane Elementary School was officially dedicated at a schoolwide community celebration. We are celebrating that milestone all week long with different activities and events, including a community 30th birthday party on Friday. 

We started the birthday celebration way back on September 5 with cupcakes for the whole school. Today, we kicked off our spirited week with an SCA Spirit Day—Lane Day—as well as a pep rally that featured a schoolwide "Happy Birthday" song, dancing to some tunes from the ’90s as well as more recent hits, some serious hula-hooping, and tons of cheers led by our most-spirited staff cheerleader, Mrs. Schadle!

The celebration continues tomorrow with another spirit day, "Beach Day." 

Upcoming Events

• Continues through Friday, 4/17 – Lane 30th Birthday SCA Spirit Days
  • Tuesday – Beach Day (lend a tropical taste to our birthday week by wearing your beachy best)
  • Wednesday – Baseball Day/Purple Up! Day for Military Kids (celebrate the sport of the season with baseball caps and jerseys and/or wear purple to show support for our military lions)
  • Thursday – Swap Day (teachers dress like students, students dress like teachers as we celebrate 30 years of both!)
  • Friday – ’90s Day (dress like it’s 1995 to mark Lane’s 30th birthday)
• Thursday, 4/16 – Family Zoom with Administrators: Supporting Your Childs Through End-of-Year Testing, 10:30 a.m.
• Friday, 4/17 – Lane Elementary 30th Anniversary Community Celebration, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, 4/21 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday for Virginia special election
  
• Tuesday, 4/21 & Wednesday, 4/22 – PTA Restaurant Nights at Chick-fil-A
• Wednesday, 4/29 – Month of the Military Child “Muffins with Military Lions” Potluck Breakfast Reception, 8:30 a.m., all families welcome
  

• Thursday, 4/30 – Standards of Learning (SOL) testing begins (grades 3 through 6)

• Friday, 5/1 – Last day to purchase yearbooks (see article below for ordering information)

• Thursday, 5/7 – PTA meeting and elections, 6:30 p.m., Cafeteria
  
  

In This Issue

• You’re Invited to Lane’s 30th Anniversary Celebration—Friday, April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Special Spirit Days This Week Boost Birthday Celebration
• Join Us for Our Next Family Zoom with Administrators This Thursday, April 16, 10:30 a.m.
• Purple Up for Military Kids This Wednesday; “Muffins for Military Lions” on Wednesday, April 29
• Student Holiday Tuesday, April 21, Due to Virginia Special Election; April Early Release Wednesday Canceled
• Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Screening for Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services; Referral Deadline This Wednesday, April 15
• From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Third Quarter Overdue Notices and End-of-Year Reminders
• SOL Testing Begins April 30!
• Last Day to Order Yearbooks Is Friday, May 1
• We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
• FCPS PreK and Early Head Start Now Accepting Applications for 2026-27 School Year
• PTA News: Restaurant Nights Next Week; PTA Board Elections, May 7
• Parent Resources: Summer camp information, upcoming webinars
• FCPS News & Events: Budget update, Community Conversations with Dr. Reid
  
  

News & Notes

You’re Invited to Lane’s 30th Anniversary Celebration—Friday, April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

This year, Lane Elementary is celebrating 30 years of learning and leading with pride, and we want our entire school community—past, present, and future—to be a part of those festivities.

This Friday, April 17, 30 years to the day of Lane’s official dedication ceremony in 1996, we will all come together for a 30th Birthday Bash. We’ll have games, music, appearances by former administrators and other special guests, and the chance to catch up with old Lane friends and maybe make some new ones. Food and drink will be available for purchase, or you are welcome to bring your own picnic. You can also bring lawn chairs and lawn games to add to the fun.

The PTA has arranged to have the food truck from Rocklands BBQ onsite at the event, and you can pre-order to have it ready and waiting for you! You can place your order before Thursday, April 16, at noon using this link: https://rocklands-bbq.square.site/.

If pre-ordering, please note:

• Pre-ordering may not be visible on Google Chrome, but other web browsers have no problem!
• Other locations/trucks may be listed and active for the same week, so be sure to select the correct location.
• Once the correct location is selected the date will automatically change to the date and start time of our event. You may schedule the time you would like to pick up your order by selecting "Change" under the location and switching from "ASAP" to "Later" and then entering the desired time.
• Some options may be available on pre-ordering only; currently a rib platter is only available through pre-order.

Other food trucks, including Rita's and DC Slices, will also be available on site at the event. 

You can download a flyer for the event here. Please feel free to share the information with other Lane families or friends that you know. We want the word to ROAR from mouth to mouth to bring as many lions as possible back to the den.

The entire week before the big birthday bash, we will celebrate Lane history in a variety of ways during the school day. Our plans include a pep rally, commemorative classroom banners, pop-up appearances by Mr. Paws, and lots of celebration.

Thanks to the PTA for cosponsoring and supporting this event so generously!

Special Spirit Days This Week Boost Birthday Celebration

Beyond the big birthday party on Friday, we’ve put together some other fun activities for students and staff throughout the week. One of those activities is special spirit days. Some are directly connected to our celebration (like today’s Lane spirit day), while others celebrate the time of year (like Beach Day and Baseball Day).

We kicked off the week with Lane Spirit Day today, which was perfect for our birthday week Pep Rally. Please see the schedule below for details on the other planned themes. We hope your child will participate!

• Tuesday – Beach Day (lend a tropical taste to our birthday week by wearing your beachy best)
• Wednesday – Baseball Day/Purple Up! Day for Military Kids (celebrate the sport of the season with baseball caps and jerseys and/or wear purple to show support for our military lions)
• Thursday – Swap Day (teachers dress like students, students dress like teachers as we celebrate 30 years of both!)
• Friday – ‘90s Day (dress like it’s 1995 to mark Lane’s 30th birthday).

Join Us for Our Next Family Zoom with Administrators This Thursday, April 16, 10:30 a.m.

With Spring Break and student holidays earlier this month, we’ve had to move our “First Friday Family Zoom” to the third Thursday instead. Our next virtual “coffee” with our administration team—Principal Ebony Opie, Assistant Principal Allen Dickens, and Assistant Principal Maureen Lopez—will be held on Thursday, April 16, at 10:30 a.m.

The topic for this session will be supporting your child through end-of-year testing. We will meet live online using this link at 10:30 a.m., You are welcome to join from wherever you are! If you’re not able to make it live, don’t worry! We will record the session and send out the link next week.

We hope you can join us on Thursday!

Purple Up for Military Kids This Wednesday; “Muffins for Military Lions” on Wednesday, April 29

April is the Month of the Military Child (MOMC), and here at Lane we are planning several special activities to celebrate the strength, spirit, and resilience of the many young military-connected lions we have in our community. Nearly 25 percent of our student body is military-connected.

This Wednesday, April 15, is “Purple Up!” Day. One day in April is selected each year as the day to “Purple Up!” for military kids, and all are encouraged to wear purple to honor the strength and sacrifices of military-connected youth. Why purple? Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red, Navy blue, and Space Force dark blue. We hope your children will join other Lane students and staff in “purpling up” their wardrobes that day. (This is also the SCA’s “Baseball Day.” Students are encouraged to participate in either or both!)

Later in the month, on Wednesday, April 29, we will host our traditional “Muffins for Military Lions” potluck breakfast for our military-connected students and families before school at 8:30 a.m. We recognize that all Lane Lions are connected to these students as classmates, friends, neighbors, and more, so all Lane Lionsmilitary and non-military – and their families are welcome to attend.

We ask that each family bring a dozen mini muffins or half a dozen full-size muffins (or other breakfast treat) to share with others. Muffins and other items can be store-bought or homemade. We just ask that if you make your own you provide an ingredients list so that our families with allergies can choose safely.

If you’d like to join us that morning, please fill out this form and tell us what you’ll bring.

Other military-centered activities in the coming weeks include:

• Morning Meeting Shares
  Throughout this month of recognition, we encourage our military lions to share their experiences as military children with their classmates during Morning Meeting. If your child would like to participate, please sign up here.
• Dandelion Wall Display
  The dandelion is a symbol of military children because they are beautiful, resilient, and flourish wherever their seeds may land. We will be building a large dandelion display in our hallway, and we’d like to add the names of our military students as the “seeds.” Watch Wednesday Folders this week for a template to fill out and return if your child is military-connected. We will add them to wall as they are received.
• Chains of Connection
  To continue our “Purple Up!” theme, we will be creating purple paper chains to decorate our school. All students will have the chance to celebrate members of the military and/or military children by dedicating a “link” to them.
• Military-Student/Family Slide Show
  Finally, to end our Month of the Military Child activities, we will create a special slide show featuring our military students! If you are a military family and would like us to include your child(ren) in the slide show, please email pictures (no more than three, please) to our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu. When you send the pictures, please let us know that it is OK to use the family name in the show (i.e. – The Smith Family). The slide show will not be shared publicly; it will only be shown at school. Pictures must be received by Friday, April 24, to be included in the slide show.
  
  

Student Holiday Tuesday, April 21, Due to Virginia Special Election; April Early Release Wednesday Canceled

Please make note of these two upcoming calendar changes,

• There is no school for students on April 21 due to Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events will proceed as scheduled. Fairfax County Public Schools will still exceed the required number of instructional hours for students, as set by the Virginia Department of Education.
  • FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on Tuesday, April 21, at participating schools. The closest school to Lane that’s serving meals is Springfield Estates Elementary.
  • The meals must be eaten on site, and enrichment activities will be available for the children. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
• Because of the election-related closure on the 21st as well as weather-related cancelations and delays earlier this year, the previously scheduled Early Release Wednesday this month has been converted back to a full day. All students will be released at the regular 4:05 dismissal time on April 29.

Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Screening for Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services; Referral Deadline This Wednesday, April 15

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.

Screening for Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services

Students can be screened for subject-specific and part-time AAP services at any time in the school year. In the spring, schools review data on all students to determine services for the start of the next school year.

Parents or guardians can initiate the screening process by submitting the AAP School-Based Services Referral Form to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) or Assistant Principal by April 15, annually.

The AAP School-Based Services Referral Form may be found at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/advanced-academic-program-aap-forms or by searching “AAP Forms” at https://www.fcps.edu/.

Parents or guardians who submit a referral will be notified by the local elementary school of their student’s eligibility status by early June.

Screening Process for Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services

Multiple criteria are reviewed holistically to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. Committees consider student work from opportunities with AAP lessons, examples of student reasoning or gifted behaviors from class discussions and activities, progress reports, achievement and ability scores, and parent or guardian input. Committees consider whether students have access to a group of students with similar academic needs to support academic conversations and growth in the classroom.

Appeals Process for Subject Specific and Part-Time Services

If a parent or guardian wishes to appeal an ineligible decision, they may submit an appeal with new data for consideration by the local school screening committee. This new information should be submitted to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher or Assistant Principal.

Subject-Specific Advanced Differentiation, Grades K-6

Some students require differentiation beyond the needs of age-level peers in their class in at least one specific subject area. Classroom teachers may adjust instruction for students in these areas by:

• Providing different assignments and resources in those subjects,
• Grouping students by their strengths, interests, and readiness, and
• Providing additional challenges using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework.

Student needs for subject-specific differentiation are re-evaluated each year at the local school.

Part-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-6

Some students have advanced academic abilities in multiple subject areas and require differentiation beyond the needs of age-level peers in their class in multiple content areas.

• Students work with other students that have similar academic needs through weekly pull-out classes or weekly co-taught lessons with the AART and classroom teacher.
• Teachers provide frequent opportunities to use materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, science, social studies, and/or mathematics.

Part-Time services continue through Grade 6. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.

Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services Overview

Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services in Elementary School

FCPS offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in Grades K-12. The continuum of services approach allows for a focus on matching services to students’ needs rather than labeling students. Students have:

• Multiple entry points for deeper learning opportunities in specific areas of need as they develop.
• A cluster group of students with similar academic needs to support student learning and growth.

Teachers, administrators, and Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) work together to provide the following levels of school-based services at the elementary level:

Access to Rigor, Grades K-6

All students have opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve.

• All teachers use critical and creative thinking strategies in their lessons.
• Classroom teachers provide opportunities using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework a minimum of once per quarter.

Because Access to Rigor services are for all FCPS students, there is not a screening process.

Screening for Full-Time Services

Screening Timeline for Full-Time Services

Screening for Full-Time AAP services happens at the district/central level rather than by local schools. For your planning for next school year, please know that screening for Full-Time services occurs during two specific screening cycles:

• Fall screening is available for students who are new to FCPS since January. Fall referrals are due October 15, annually.
• Spring screening is available for any Grade 2-7 FCPS-enrolled student. The referral window is from the first day of school to December 15, annually.

For more information, please visit the AAP website at: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/current-fcps-students.

Full-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-8

Some advanced learners need a Full-Time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).

Students eligible for Full-Time AAP services are cluster-grouped on a Full-Time basis and receive:

• Full-Time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and
• Curriculum that is differentiated through acceleration, depth, and complexity of content.

Full-Time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.

If you have questions, please contact Lane’s Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART) at lesimon@fcps.edu.

From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Third Quarter Overdue Notices and End-of-Year Reminders

Dear Lane Readers,

With the start of fourth quarter, please note that the library will be emailing overdue notices on Tuesday, April 21. Students who have books that were due on or before March 27 will receive a notice. Please do your best to look for these books and return them in good condition! It is also possible that books have been sent to school but have not yet made it to the library. If this is the case, apologies in advance for the crossed communication.

Starting in mid-May, notices regarding ALL library items that are checked out will be sent home weekly. All library books are due on Wednesday, June 3.

As a reminder, there are no fines for overdue books, however families are expected to pay the replacement cost for lost or damaged books.

Contact Sue Chozick, Librarian (schozick@fcps.edu) with any questions.

Last Day to Order Yearbooks is Friday, May 1!

There are only a few weeks left to order 2025-2026 yearbooks! Pre-sales will end on Friday, May 1, and there will likely be no extra books available in June. If you want a yearbook for your child please order one now!

The price of each book is $22. You can have your child’s name printed on the cover for an additional $5.

To order, go to https://www.buytheyearbook.com, put in Lane Yearbook School ID #732283, and pay with your credit card. All orders are online only. Books will be distributed at school in early June.

SOL Testing Begins April 30!

If you have a child in grades 3 through 6, please remember that required Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) testing begins at the end of this month on Thursday, April 30. Here is the full schedule by grade level:

• Thursday, April 30 – 3rd & 5th Grade Reading
• Friday, May 1– 4th & 6th Grade Reading
• Wednesday, May 13 – 5th Grade Science
• Monday, May 18 – 3rd & 6th Grade Math