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- Shining Star Shoutouts
- Thank You, Mr. Basdekis!
- Thank You, Custodians!
- Picture Day is October 8th
- AAP Night is October 7th
- Disability History and Awareness Month
- National Bullying Prevention Month
- Coates Fall Festival Info
- From FCPS & Community Resources
- Recognize Our Staff Who Go Above and Beyond
- Mark Your Calendar
Congrats to our Shining Star Shoutout students for this past week. The students recognized for demonstrating what it means to be a Shining Star this week are:
Kindergarten:
Kara Alvarez (Ready to Shine)
Ali Hashimi (Responsible)
Deborah Sesay (Responsible)
Muhammad Ali (Responsible)
Inioluwa Minerva Tom (Responsible)
1st Grade:
Nirvin Guddeti (Responsible)
Joab Dorestant (Respectful)
2nd Grade:
Danny Toro Solar (Ready to Shine)
Emily Espinoza (Ready to Shine)
Ella Abouhegaza (Respectful)
Zara Hadi (Respectful)
3rd Grade:
Ariyah King (Responsible)
Shaurya Prasad (Responsible)
4th Grade:
Tim Addington (Ready to Shine)
Valeria Hernandez Castro (Responsible)
5th Grade:
Solomon Kiberu-Mubanga (Respectful & Ready to Shine)
Jerry Martinez (Ready to Shine)
Jeycob Vivas Bautista (Ready to Shine)
Rihane El Bari (Ready to Shine)
Venezia Velasquez Espinoza (Responsible)
Sreshta Aakula (Responsible)
Areez Ahmad (Respectful)
Ava-Jiselle Lobo (Respectful)
Samantha Jaghori (Respectful)
6th Grade:
Safi Jailani (Ready to Shine)
Langston West (Ready to Shine)
Malaya Gupta (Responsible)
Arham Khatri (Responsible)
Angie Reyes Munguia (Respectful)
an Sarmiento Garcia (Respectful)
Kayden Tweed (Respectful)
Nahom Yirgu (Respectful)
Laure-Depaix Agboyibo (Respectful)
Nathaniel Ephrem (Respectful)
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October is Principal Appreciation Month! We are grateful for Mr. Basdekis and all he does to support our students, staff, and families at Coates Elementary. Thank you, Mr. Basdekis, for helping our school shine! ⭐ |
Today is Custodian Appreciation Day! A big thank-you to our Coates custodians for all their hard work keeping our school clean, safe, and well maintained. Your care helps Coates shine every day, and we truly appreciate all you do!
Thursday, October 8th is Fall Picture Day! Parents should have received the picture order form in their student’s Thursday folder. Pictures can also be ordered online at strawbridge.net with the code PX526057. We can’t wait to see everyone looking their best and sharing their smiles!
Families are invited to attend our AAP information meeting, led by Lisa Buck, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services and Information on Full-Time AAP Identification: October 7 from 5:30-6:15 in the Coates library. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students. And the second half of the meeting families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
For more information, please contact Lisa Buck, AART, at llbuck@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.
In Virginia during October, Disability History and Awareness activities provide an opportunity to create greater public awareness for individuals with disabilities, with the goal of full inclusion in our community. eholder text. |
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition.
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.
Mark your calendars for our annual Coates Elementary School Fall Festival! Join us for an afternoon full of games, delicious food, exciting prizes, and autumn fun for the whole family.
Event Details
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Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
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Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
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Location: Coates Elementary School (behind the school)
Keep an eye out for details on presale ticket pricing coming soon in upcoming newsletters!
Help make the Coates Fall Festival Cake Walk a success!
Please consider donating a non-refrigerated baked good for our Cake Walk on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Donations may be dropped off in the Coates main office on Thursday, October 22, or Friday, October 23.
Use this link to sign up to donate.
Please include a list of ingredients with your donation to help families identify potential allergens. Thank you for supporting our school community!
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Fall Festival Family Booth Sign-up
Be part of Coates Elementary’s Fall Festival by hosting a family booth! Families may lead an activity with prizes or share a special talent, such as face painting, hair braiding, jewelry making, crafts, games, or another fun experience.
Please complete this sign-up form with your information. A member of our team will contact you with additional details. The Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and booth hosts should be prepared to set up and participate during that time.
Coates will provide one long table and folding chairs. Families are responsible for all other supplies and materials. Questions? Please contact Mrs. Gray at JLGray@fcps.edu.
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Superintendent Community Conversations
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for a Community Conversation. Students, families, staff, and community members are invited to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss what matters most to them. Everyone is welcome! Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
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:
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Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
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Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
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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.
Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home
All family members and caregivers are invited to attend monthly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Family Training to learn how to support and teach students with autism and related disorders. No registration is needed.
Virtual trainings take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Join a session. Upcoming topics include:
- Autism and ABA Overview on Wednesday, October 14. It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.
- Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home on Wednesday, November 18.
- Toilet Training on Wednesday, December 9.
- Managing Challenging Behaviors at Home on Wednesday, January 13.
- Communication: A Foundation for Independence on Wednesday, February 10.
Visit the ABA webpage for a full list of classes. Need an interpreter? Contact Stephanie Watkins two weeks before the training at 571-423-4110 or sawatkins@fcps.edu.
Understanding the FCPS Calendar
Help your child prepare for future success by encouraging them to develop positive attendance habits. Regular attendance supports learning and helps students stay on track for college, careers, and other opportunities after graduation.
Take a look at the FCPS calendar. Try your best to schedule any vacations or planned family events on weekends and school holidays. If the appointment needs to be during the school day, when possible, schedule it for the beginning or end of the day to minimize time missed.
If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, please report the absence to our school as early as possible. Find out how to report an absence on our homepage or call the front office.
If you or your family need any kind of support, please let us know. We are here for you! Visit the FCPS Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
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