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Important Dates
Friday, October 31: End of Quarter, 2-hour Early Release
Monday-Tuesday Nov 3-4: Teacher Workdays, No School
Tuesday, November 11: Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Thursday, November 13: Picture Day -- Fall Retake
November 17-21: School Book Fair Week - Library
November 18: Thanksgiving Luncheon - School Cafeteria
November 19: 3hr Early Release Wednesday - 1pm
November 26-28: Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
FCPS 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
GBW Earns Purple Star!!!
Thanks to the dedication of our Purple Star Teacher Leaders- Katie Musitani (ESOL Teacher) and Beth McCoy (Speech Pathologist), Greenbriar West Elementary School has just been recognized as a Purple Star School for the 2025-2026 school year! The Purple Star Award is a special honor from the Virginia Council on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children. It recognizes schools that go above and beyond to support military-connected students and their families, ensuring they feel welcome and supported, especially when they are transitioning to a new school. This designation is valid for the next three school years. We are thrilled to display the official Purple Star logo and will soon receive a commemorative Challenge Coin recognizing our commitment.
We are so grateful to everyone who has helped make Greenbriar West ES a welcoming and supportive place for all students, especially those with military connections.
Sincerely,
Mr. Blount and Mrs. Odom
BIG Thank You!!.
On behalf of Greenbriar West ES, we want to thank Eagle Scout Candidate Alex Meta and Troop 7369 for the amazing make-over (framing repair, roof replacement, and repainting) of our shed! We especially love the vibrant GBW green color schemes! Simply beautiful! This shed was in bad shape- we estimate it might have quickly deteriorated to the point of discarding it over the next few years had you all not done such a nice job bringing the shed back to life. This shed now has new life and will be an attractive and functional part of our GBW community for many years to come! We are sincerely thankful for your hard work. We would love to continue partnering with Troop 7369 for all future projects.
Sincerely,
Mr. Blount, Mrs. Odom, and GBW PTA & Community
GBW Progress Reports:
Dear GBW Families,
An important part of our collaborative communication between GBW and our families is our process for teachers sharing students’ current progress using progress reports. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) uses Standards-Based Reporting for elementary schools. This system focuses on reporting how students are meeting expected curriculum standards for their grade level. It reports separately on both academic progress on specific skills and effort/work habits (often called Life, Work, and Citizenship skills).
Timeline for GBW Progress Reports:
- Monday, November 10: Parents can see student's marks in SIS ParentVue account at 6:00 a.m.
- Thursday, November 13: Report Cards sent home in Thursday folders
If you have any general questions about the FCPS Progress Reports, please reach out to Mr. Blount. For more detailed questions about your child’s performance, please reach out to your classroom teacher.
GBW Book Character Spirit Day- Friday, October 31st
Dear GBW,
We are thrilled to host our first schoolwide
Book Character Spirit Day on Friday, October 31st!
As a school we are excited to combine our love of reading with our joy for school spirit days by hosting this Book Character Spirit Day! As we plan to make this a fun spirit day, we also have some guidance to help ensure we keep students safe and engaged in learning. Please see below for guidance on Book Character Costumes.
Safety and Security Restrictions:
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No weapons (real or fake/toy): No toy guns, swords, knives, bats, or any prop that resembles a weapon.
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Costumes must be safe/manageable: Students must be able to move, sit, see, and participate in all school activities (including recess and P.E.) without the costume posing a tripping hazard or being overly distracting.
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No wheeled items: Items like skateboards, roller skates / blades, or bicycles (even if part of the character- are not allowed)
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Masks- will be permitted for kindergarten students participating in the parade. All other students are not permitted to wear masks.
Content and Appropriateness:
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Age Appropriate- No gore, blood, or excessive face paint: Costumes should not be overly scary, violent, inappropriate, or depict blood, gore, or horror elements.
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No Costume Props: Please do not bring any props / accessories that may distract from learning.
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FCPS Dress Code Considerations: All costumes should adhere to appropriate dress code guidance provided in the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
Focus on Books:
The costume should be connected to a book character:
The character should be tied to a published book as suggested in the spirit day theme, “Book Character Spirit Day.”
Save the date!
The Scholastic Book Fair will be at GBW from November 17th - November 21st! More information is coming soon!
We need volunteers to help the Book Fair run smoothly. Click the link below to volunteer.
Greenbriar West Elementary School: Book Fair Volunteers 2025
Benchmark Advance Updates:
Benchmark Advance is our core reading program, designed to build strong literacy skills in all students. It offers a balance of reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities that support learners at every level. Each unit includes assessments to help us track progress—some units use weekly assessments, while other units include an end-of-unit assessment instead. Below you’ll find the assessment dates for Quarter 2.
Benchmark Advance Grade Level Assessments in 2nd Quarter
Grade 1:
- No Unit assessments; Weekly Spelling Assessments
Grade 2:
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Unit 2 and 4 Assessment- No Assessment
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Unit 3 Assessment- Dec. 9-12th
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Spelling Assessments- Weekly
Grade 3, 4, and 5:
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Unit 2 Assessment: Nov. 12-18th
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Unit 3 Week 2 Assessment: Dec. 5-12th
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Spelling Assessments- Weekly
Grade 6:
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Unit 2 Assessment: Nov. 12-18th
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Unit 3 Week 2 Assessment: Dec. 5-12th
Save the Date: Thanksgiving Lunch
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Join us at GBW for the Thanksgiving Lunch and enjoy time with your student while celebrating a wonderful school event.
Adult/Guest meals are $5.00 each. (Including younger siblings)
Student meals are $3.25 each
All lunch payments for both students and guests will ONLY be through MySchoolBucks so please be sure to add extra funds to your child's Meal Accounts accordingly.
This process expedites check-out through the lunch-line with your student.
If students have free or reduced lunch, their guests may add funds to the MySchoolbucks Meal Account to cover the adult/guest meal.
There are no pre-event ticket sales or day-of-event ticket sales.
Modified lunch schedules has been sent out via e-notify messaging and paper copy will be sent out in Thursday Folders soon!
***For safety reasons, we will be requiring all parents / guardians to check into the main office using a valid driver’s license or government issued ID. Please add ample time for parking and visitor check-in procedures to ensure you are on time for the lunch. See our website for guidance on legal parking.
Picture Retake Day
Thursday, November 13th
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Your student is eligible to have a picture taken on retake day if:
· Your student was absent on the first picture day (9/19)
· Your student was new to GBW after 9/19
· Your student do not like his/her picture
· Your student paid for a picture package and wish to have the picture retaken. **
**Original package must be returned and given to the photographer on retake day.
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Attention: Military-Connected Families
We have an upcoming luncheon event on November 7th to honor you and your families and to show our appreciation for your service. If you haven’t already given us your contact information, please email Katie Musitani, kmbelyeamusi@fcps.edu so we can send you the invitation as we would love for you to join us.
Please Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. Schools will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, November 12.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, please visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type “Federal Impact Aid Survey” in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
Upcoming Bond Referendum
The 2025 Bond Referendum will be on the ballot in the upcoming election on November 4. Bond Referendums are how FCPS pays for capital improvement projects, like much needed school renovations. Bond funds are critical for our schools to continue evolving with the needs of our students and communities.
To learn more about the bond, please visit the Bond Referendum 2025 webpage.
OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE NOMINATIONS
Do you know an amazing employee at Greenbriar West Elementary School? , Greenbriar West will be accepting nominations to recognize an Outstanding Employee for the 2025-2026 school year.
All Nominations are Due in by Friday, November 7, 2025
Nominations for:
*Outstanding Teacher
Recognizes teachers or librarians with 3+ years of experience who inspire a love of learning, understand and support students’ individual needs, demonstrate deep content knowledge, and build strong relationships within the school community. Must teach or provide direct instruction to students 50% or more of the time.
*Outstanding New Teacher
Honors teachers or librarians in their first 3 years who demonstrate exceptional instructional skills, connect deeply with students, and collaborate effectively with staff and families. Must teach or provide direct instruction to students 50% or more of the time.
*Outstanding Principal
Celebrates principals with 3+ years of experience as building principals who inspire excellence, lead with vision, and cultivate inclusive, collaborative school cultures. Assistant/Associate Principals should be nominated as Outstanding Leaders.
*Outstanding New Principal
Highlights principals in their first 3 years who lead with clarity, communicate effectively, foster safe and engaging environments, and center equity in all aspects of their work.
*Outstanding Leader
Honors leaders such as Assistant/Associate Principals, Directors of Student Services or Activities, and other Schedule C administrators who demonstrate exceptional leadership, collaboration, and commitment to equity. Must have served in their cur | 
