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Kristen Rucinski - Principal Allison Ovalle - Assistant Principal
Sept. 15-Oct. 15: National Hispanic American Heritage
Oct: National School Principals' Month
Oct. 1: PTA Spirit Night at Yafa Mediterranean Grill - 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 2: National Custodian Appreciation Day
Oct. 2: Hayfield Hawks Varsity Football Team "Little Hawks Night"
Kickoff at 7 p.m.
Oct.8: Hayfield Pyramid Virtual Session: Helping Students Build
Healthy Digital Habits - 6:30PM - 7:30PM (Virtual)
Oct. 8: PTA Spirit Night at Yafa Mediterranean Grill - 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 9-16: Gunston Fall Book Fair
Oct.12: School Planning Day for Staff (Student Holiday)
Oct. 15: PTA Spirit Night at Yafa Mediterranean Grill - 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 21: Early Release Wednesday 3-hour Release - 12:20 p.m.
Oct. 22: AVID Family Night - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22: PTA Spirit Night at Yafa Mediterranean Grill - 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 23: School Picture Day
Oct. 29: PTA Spirit Night at Yafa Mediterranean Grill - 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 30: Fill the Truck! 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Oct. 30: End of First Quarter 2-hour Early Release - 1:20 p.m.
Gunston Gazette
October 2, 2026
National Hispanic
American Heritage
Each September 15th - October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Students deserve meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn about the experiences and contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans year-round. The celebration of National Hispanic American Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor these diverse and important stories.
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Hayfield Pyramid Virtual Session:
Helping Students Build Healthy Digital Habits
Hosted by FCPS Instructional Services and the Hayfield Pyramid Principals, this virtual session offers practical guidance for families navigating social media, gaming, and screen time.
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Date: Thursday, October 8
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Time: 6:30PM - 7:30PM (Virtual)
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Who It’s For: Hayfield Pyramid families and caregivers
Highlights:
- Strategies to set healthy boundaries while fostering independence
- Practical routines for managing devices at home
- Direct insights from student panel perspectives
Scan the QR code on the flyer or access this link.
Hayfield “Little Hawks Night” Tonight – Friday, October 2!
The Hayfield Hawks Varsity Football Team will take on West Potomac. It’s “Little Hawks Night,” which means all children get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket AND will be invited down to the field at 6:50 p.m. to form a fan tunnel to introduce the Hayfield team!
Kick-off is at 7 p.m.
To receive a free child ticket, the child must wear a youth jersey and be accompanied by an adult purchasing a qualifying ticket.
Stadium address is 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315
Questions? Contact Hayfield Secondary School at (703) 924-7400.
Attendance Reminder
Gunston families, we know life happens and sometimes your student needs to miss school. Please be sure to notify the main office when your student is absent. Sending a message to your student’s teacher only can lead to inaccurate attendance recording. Reporting attendance is easy as you can call the 24/7 attendance line at 703-541-3636, email GunstonElem.Attendance@fcps.edu, or submit directly through ParentVUE.
Please leave a specific message about why your student is not attending. Be sure to include symptoms if they are ill, especially if they have fever, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and/or cough. Save, Share, and Remember!
Early Release Wednesdays
FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year, however the number has been reduced from eight to four days.
Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.
Here are the early release dates for Gunston Elementary School. Students will be dismissed at 12:20 p.m. on the following days:
- October 21
- December 2
- February 10
- May 5
General information about Early Release Wednesdays, including all the dates for this year, can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/safety-and-transportation/limited-early-release-wednesdays
Gunston PTA:
Join us for the 2026-2027 School Year!
Meeting Essentials:
Tuesdays, every other month - Meetings are held bimonthly on Tuesday evenings throughout the school year.
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Join us for ninety minutes of collaboration and school updates.
Location: Gunston Cafeteria - All meeting will be held on-site in the school cafeteria.
2026-2027 Dates to Remember:
November 17th, January 26, March 16th and May 25th.
Gunston ES PTA Spirit Day - Yafa Grille!
Join us for Spirit Day at Yafa Grille and support our school while enjoying a delicious meal! A portion of proceeds (15%) will be donated back to our school. Dine in or take out every Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., bring your family and friends, and don't forget to mention Gunston Elementary Spirit Day when ordering. Every meal helps support our students and school programs!
When placing online orders, please mention #gunston15 in the comment box. Order online at YafaGrille.com
Yafa Mediterranean Grill
9033 White Spruce Way
Lorton, VA 22079
(703) 690-1058
Superintendent Community Conversations
Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division. You are invited to share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates at 6:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted):
Registration links will be shared soon. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are one-hour long and open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
Conversaciones con la Comunidad: Su voz es importante
La superintendente, Dra. Michelle Reid, quiere escucharle. En FCPS, las familias y la comunidad son nuestros aliados. Cuando trabajamos juntos, podemos brindarles a nuestros estudiantes las herramientas que necesitan para tener éxito en la escuela y en la vida.
Las Conversaciones con la Comunidad son espacios donde las familias, los estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad pueden compartir sus ideas, hacer preguntas y conversar directamente con la Dra. Reid. Ella estará allí para escuchar sus experiencias, conocer sus necesidades y trabajar con la comunidad para apoyar a nuestros estudiantes.
Acompáñenos en una de estas conversaciones, que se llevarán a cabo en diferentes escuelas del distrito. Por favor, vea a continuación el horario de las Conversaciones con la Comunidad.
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Lunes, 19 de octubre, 6:30 p.m., en la Escuela Primaria Spring Hill
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Lunes, 26 de octubre, 6:30 p.m., en la Escuela Primaria Beech Tree
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Jueves, 29 de octubre, 6:30 p.m., en la Escuela Primaria North Springfield
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Viernes, 13 de noviembre, 6:30 p.m., en la Escuela Primaria Colin Powell
Habrá servicios de cuidado infantil e interpretación de idiomas para apoyar su participación. Cada conversación durará aproximadamente una hora y media.
¡Esperamos contar con su presencia! Todas las familias, estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad están invitados. También puede conocer otras oportunidades para comunicarse con la Dra. Reid.
Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr
FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place.
Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff.
Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day.
A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.
Cambio en el calendario: Eid al-Fitr
FCPS marcará el comienzo de Eid al-Fitr con un día de conmemoración únicamente durante la noche del lunes, 8 de marzo. Habrá clases ese día, pero no se llevarán a cabo eventos ni actividades importantes patrocinadas por la escuela, como audiciones o pruebas para equipos.
El martes, 9 de marzo, será un día festivo para estudiantes y personal.
El miércoles, 10 de marzo, será un día de conmemoración. Habrá clases, pero no se realizarán ciertas actividades que no puedan recuperarse, como exámenes importantes, excursiones o eventos obligatorios.
Se ha publicado un nuevo calendario del año escolar que refleja este cambio. Tenga en cuenta que los días festivos y de conmemoración que aparecen en el calendario pueden cambiar según la observación prevista del calendario lunar.
Transportation Survey
Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey
As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact | 
