Daniels Run ES Weekly Run Down- October 2, 2026

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

A Note from the Principal

Happy Friday Daniels Run Families!

We've had a great week at Daniels Run! Superintendent Dr. Reid visited classrooms for instructional walkthroughs and shared how impressed she was with our reading program and, of course, our amazing staff. Today, members of the George Mason University baseball team joined us in classrooms. Our students and staff always enjoy spending time with our GMU Baseball partners.

Join Us for the PTA Meeting
Our next in-person PTA meeting will be Tuesday, October 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the library. I hope to see many of our parents there—please join us!

Fall Field Day – Friday, October 9
Field Day is coming up next Friday! Please look for more information in your child’s weekly classroom newsletter.

School Planning Day – Monday, October 12
There will be no school for students on Monday, October 12. The school office will be open.

Construction Update
Construction will continue next week, including the closure of one entrance to the church parking lot next door. We’ve been assured that the entrance will close after morning arrival and reopen before afternoon dismissal, so the impact should be minimal.

If you encounter any challenges, please let the office know. We’ll work with the construction team to find a solution.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Have a wonderful weekend!

Best regards,
Susan Mullen

Upcoming Dates

October 6: PTA Meeting at 7:30pm (In-person)

October 9: Field Day

October 12: Indigenous Peoples' Day- Student Holiday

October 21: 3 Hour Early Release Wednesday (Students dismiss at 12:45pm)

October 30: 2 Hour Early Release/End of First Quarter (Students dismiss at 1:45pm)

November 2 & 3: Teacher Workdays- No School

Field Day is Friday, October 9^th!

*Rain date Friday, October 16^th* If you are interested in volunteering to help run a field day station, please use the link below to sign up.

Field Day Station Sign Up

*If all stations are filled, please reach out to Mrs. Heffron dmheffron@fcps.edu and Mr. Heslep jtheslep@fcps.edu and we’ll create an additional slot for you. Thank you for helping to support this fun event! – The DRES PE Team

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.

City of Fairfax Regional Library Fall Events

Take a look at what is happening at the Fairfax City Regional Library this fall! Access the monthly calendar using the link and browse the activities for kids as well as adults.

https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar?cid=6524&t=m&d=0000-00-00&cal=6524&cm=3439&inc=0

Generation Supply

Generation Supply is a student-led initiative founded by Fairfax High School students with the objective of ensuring no student falls behind due to a lack of school supplies. The organization collects and redistributes essential items to over 1,400 students from low-income families attending high-need Title 1 schools in FCPS. Daniels Run is proud to support their mission from September 21 to October 16 by collecting donations in the box located at our main entrance office. We are accepting 1.5–2 inch binders, composition notebooks, #2 pencils, colored pencils, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, sticky notes, pencil pouches, dry erase markers, and any extra school supplies you may have. Every pencil counts and every notebook matters—together, we can ensure every child has the tools they need to achieve academic excellence!

Family Needs Assessment Survey

The School Social Worker and Family Liaison at Daniels Run Elementary School work together to support students and families during the school year. This information will help us connect you with helpful school and community resources. Please read this optional form carefully and check the boxes to receive more information on resources that may be available to you. You will receive a paper version as well in the mail. All answers will be kept private and confidential. Thank you!

Encuesta de necesidades familiares

La trabajadora social y la enlace Familiar de la Escuela Daniels Run trabajan juntas para ayudar a las familias durante el año escolar. Esta información nos ayudará a poneros en contacto con los recursos escolares y comunitarios de utilidad. Por favor, lea atentamente este formulario opcional (optional form) y marque las Casillas corresponidentes para recibir más información sobre los recursos que pueden estar disponibles. También recibiras una carta impresa por correo postal. Todas las respuestas se mantendrán en privado y de manera confidencial. Muchas gracias.

Steam Lab Materials Needed

The STEAM lab is ready to collect consumable materials! Please send the following to the lab:

Paper towel tubes
Toilet paper tubes
Cardboard egg cartons
Cereal boxes (collapsed)
Small-medium cardboard boxes (collapsed)

Materials will be accepted until October 30.

PTA Announcement

PTA Meeting

PTA Meeting in person on Tuesday, October 6th at 7:30pm in the Daniels Run library! We will have babysitting! Join the PTA today.

Dragon Day

Dragon Day is Friday, November 6th! Dragon Drive starts October 19th.

Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K to 12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.

Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:

Fall identification: Students in grades 3 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15.
Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15.

FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services:

All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
Students in Grades 3 to 6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
Students in Grades 3 to 6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Ms.Gaby Auza, school testing coordinator, at GMAuza1@fcps.edu by September 30.

Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings led by Ms. Danni James, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):

Full-Time AAP Identification: October 5^th at 6:30pm on Zoom. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services. Click on the following link to register: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/meeting/register/QtQeHTUpSDuQk9cgYM3Jzg

For more information, please contact Ms. Danni James, AART, at DFJamesfcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.

Fairfax City After School Programs

Fairfax City After School Programs at Daniels Run Elementary on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45-4:45pm.

To Register Go To:

1) https://app.campdoc.com/!/dn/login?r=cityoffairfax

2) Sign in or make an account

3) Search for our programs

4) Register your child

Silver Knights Chess Academy Chess Club

Chess Club starts soon! Sign up today to continue the progression, sharpen their strategy and enjoy the game with fellow chess players.

Club is a mixture of lessons, activities, and games. All skill levels are welcome.

Register here:https://chessacademy.com/products/daniels-run-elementary-school-chess-club?_pos=1&_psq=daniels+run&_psid=806315049&_ss=e

Chess Club sponsored by the Daniels Run Elementary PTA starts this Fall on Tuesdays from 3:45-4:45PM. It will run from October 6th-December 8th.

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:

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
Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School (note date change)

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.

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.

FCPS Calendar

FCPS 2026-2027 SY Calendar

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

College Prep Resources
Life in the Community Fair
Calendar Update: Eid al-Fitr

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

Quick Links

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page or Unsubscribe from All Topics. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit