Hive Happenings Newsletter

Hello Stenwood Families,

Our hive was still buzzing with music this week! Thank you to Mr. Hodge, Mr. Zimmerman and our Stingers for all their hard work. Here is a video of the concerts in case you missed it.

We welcomed several Marshall students to lead conversations with our 4^th - 6^th graders on the sense of belonging and importance of the words we use with each other. We are truly grateful for the Marshall students for their perspective and leadership in these conversations.

As a reminder, we have a 2-hour early release on Wednesday for the end of the quarter and student holidays Thursday and Friday next week.

Below you will find information about the following items:

Assistant Principal Evaluation Feedback - NEW
Next Year’s Intention Form/Rising Kindergarten Information - Reminder
Community Peers Preschool Program - Reminder
Coming Soon - New Visitor Management System- Raptor Safe - Reminder
Original, Makeup, & Retake Pictures Are Now Online! - Reminder
Dual Language Immersion - Reminder
FCPS Budget - Stay Informed - Updated
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Reminder
Stenwood PTA - Reminder

Sincerely,

Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu

Assistant Principal Evaluation Feedback

This optional questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents/guardians an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various topics related to our school. These topics include instructional leadership, school climate, management (human resources and organizational), communication and community relations, and professionalism. You will be getting a similar one to provide feedback for Mrs. Riley in the coming months.

The questionnaire will be open from Thursday, January 22^nd - Tuesday, February 3^rd. Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Your opinions matter!

Next Year’s Intention Forms/Rising Kindergarten Information

Today, students brought home a Student Intention Form. We are asking families to fill out this form for each child to help us plan for adequate staffing next year. If you need an extra copy please reach out to the office at 703-208-7600.

If you have a child who will turn five on or before September 30^th, 2026, please return the blue form or fill out the Rising Kindergartner form. We have Kindergarten Orientation coming up on April 29^th from 9:15 - 10:00am. If you have any neighbors that have children that turn 5 on or before September 30^th, please let them know to reach out to Ms. Michelle Burke, mpburke@fcps.edu as soon as possible so we can ensure they have all the information they need.

Community Peers Preschool Program

Stenwood has a community peers preschool program. This program provides opportunities for our students to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers. The program is designed to teach preschoolers with delays and without delays in the same classroom. It can provide young children with a more stimulating environment, teach skills for coping with different situations, and provide the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills.

Our program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (2 per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30^th) to 5 years, to participate in our daily preschool activities.

The children from the community will have the opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with current early childhood special education students. Our students will, in turn, benefit from being with community peers who can model appropriate language, motor, and social skills.

All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The goal of this program is to encourage active learning and promote social interaction and acceptance through shared experiences between the community children and our preschoolers with special needs. Bus transportation cannot be provided for the community peers. Feel free to contact us for further explanation of our program.

If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, please complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, February 27^th. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in late March/early April. If you know of anyone who may be interested and does not receive the Stenwood Hive Happenings, feel free to forward them this information.

Coming Soon - New Visitor Management System - Raptor Safe

FCPS will soon be rolling out Raptor Safe, our new visitor management system. This will be the standard way to sign in at all FCPS schools.

The new system allows you to preregister via the Raptor Safe app, saving you valuable time when checking in for school visits or events! We strongly encourage all family members to download the app and complete their registration today, it will only take a couple of minutes to complete the process!

We will continue to use our current Visitor Management System until we let you know that we have made the official transition.

Registration Options:

Via the App: Search "Raptor Safe" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also visit raptortech.com/raptorsafe-app/ for direct links.
In Person: If you are unable to register ahead of time, you can still complete the process at the school kiosk. Please ensure you have a valid photo ID with you to check in.

Original, Makeup, & Retake Images from Stenwood Elementary School Are Now Online!

Order yours today at vosphoto.com/underclass!

Use your student ID when prompted for the online code.

For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com

Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages

FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12^th. The program offers students in kindergarten and first grade the opportunity to learn in English and another language — French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish — for half of each instructional day.

The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.

Families applying for first grade must do so by Thursday, February 12^th, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2^nd, at 4 p.m.

Informational meetings will begin in January. View dates and details on the FCPS calendar. If you have questions, please contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600.

Follow Our Budget Process

Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks:

Last night, Dr. Reid will presented the proposed budget to the School Board. For more information, please visit the FCPS Webpage.

Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest

Our Equity Team is hosting an ongoing drawing contest to celebrate all the holidays and observations throughout the year.

Submission Details: We will collect submissions on the 1st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Purple Up Day! is March 15, drawings for it would be due by February 1st.. You're welcome to turn in your artwork early—just drop it in the box in the office!

What Happens Next? The winning drawing will be featured in our newsletter and on our social media. All other submissions will be proudly displayed in our hallways for everyone to enjoy!

Missing a Holiday? If your family celebrates a holiday or observance that isn't on our list, please feel free to include it!

Ready to Draw? You can pick up a template paper for the contest in your classroom or the office, and it is posted on our website for easy access. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork from our Stenwood artists!

School Meals and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.25, milk $1.00. Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/ESSF44 (these menus do not appear to be available yet).

Free and Reduced-Price Status

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.