New Staggered Dismissal is Underway

Starting this Monday, we are updating our afternoon dismissal routine to a staggered schedule. This change will help streamline traffic, improve safety, and ensure a smooth exit for all students.

Here is the new dismissal timeline:

• 4:00 PM: Bicycles and Kiss & Ride
• 4:03 PM: Walkers
• As They Arrive: Bus riders will continue to be dismissed as their buses arrive.

If your child bikes to school in the coming weeks, but does not yet have an orange bike dismissal pass, please have them stop by the main office after their arrival and we'll have a pass for them before the end of the day. 

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in making our end-of-day routine safer and more efficient for our school community!

Bus Pass Requests

We are pleased to share that the new bus card system for the 2026–27 school year is running smoothly, and we will begin accepting afternoon bus pass requests on Monday, October 5th!

Thank you for your patience during the initial rollout as we ensured system stability before introducing temporary travel changes.

What Families Need to Know About the New Process

To submit an afternoon bus pass request, families will need to use our new request process:

• Parent emails LAESBusPass@fcps.edu and copies the receiving parent at least one full school day in advance.
• Receiving parent replies to approve the change at least one full school day in advance.
• Office staff provides the teacher a paper bus pass to give to the student.
• The student hands the bus pass to the bus driver. 
• Messages sent to teachers, the main office, and/or the attendance line are no longer part of the bus pass process.

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. 

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.

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 SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu. 

FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers

FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.

Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:

• Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
• Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
• Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.

Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.

Superintendent's Community Conversations

Join your neighbors for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

• Monday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m., at Riverside Elementary School
• Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
• Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
• Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
• Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. 

Madison High School Homecoming Spirit Week!

We’re joining in on Madison High School’s Homecoming Spirit Week! As part of the Madison Pyramid, we’re excited to support our community and show our spirit alongside them October 5-9. This year’s theme is Star Wars!

Monday: Train Like a Jedi Wear your favorite sports jersey.

Tuesday: Clone Wars Match outfits with a friend.

Wednesday: Wookie Wednesday Wear animal print or something fuzzy.

Thursday: Neon Out Wear your brightest neon colors.

Friday: The Force is Red Wear red to show your Madison spirit!

We can’t wait to see our students and staff join in on the fun all week long!

Junior Warhawks Fall Dance Clinic

Open to Grades 3-8! This workshop will be held on Monday, October 12 from 9am-12:30PM. There will be an optional halftime performance on Friday, October 16th at the Varsity Football Game. 

For more information and registration scan the QR code!

Questions? Email: Madisonwarhawkdanceteam@gmail.com