Hive Happenings Newsletter

Hello Stenwood Families,

We are so thankful for another wonderful year as a Hive! This year will be memorable for many reasons including our first ever snowcrete! We are proud of all of our Stingers and love seeing how hard they have worked this school year!

This week was short, but extremely busy and fun! Thank you to all of the families who were able to quickly shift gears to have our class parties on Monday, the weather was so much better! Yesterday, we had such a fabulous Variety Show, Watch out America’s Got Talent, our Stingers are amazing! Thank you to the parents who organized and pulled off a wonderful show. In the afternoon our 6^th graders were celebrated in style! Thank you to the wonderful parents that hosted a fabulous party yesterday to celebrate them. Finally, we had a lovely 6^th grade ceremony this morning to celebrate all that our 6^th graders have accomplished in their time here at Stenwood. Congratulations to our newly promoted middle schoolers!

We hope you all have a wonderful summer! This will be our last Hive Happenings for a while, but we will send out an update in late July/early August.

Below you will find information about the following items:

Summer Hours – NEW
A Former Stenwood Stinger in the FCPS News! - NEW
Supply Kit Ordering Open - Reminder
Early Release Wednesdays for 2026-27 - Reminder
FCPS Calendar Survey - Reminder
Summer Resources Help Students Stay Curious, Healthy, and Busy - Reminder
Summer Meals for Students - Reminder
Third Annual FCPS Puzzle Hunt Encourages Active Family Fun - Reminder
Please Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance - Reminder
Summer Immunization Events for All FCPS Students - Reminder
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
Stenwood PTA - Reminder

Sincerely,

Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu

Summer Hours

Stenwood’s office will be open daily from 9:00am – 1:00pm.

A Former Stenwood Stinger in the FCPS News

Recently FCPS highlighted a former Stenwood Stinger as he completed his final year with FCPS at the Davis Career Center. This article highlights the great work of Ryan’s teams throughout his years in FCPS and his wonderful years at Stenwood including a shout out to our very own Mr. Z! Enjoy the good news story!

Order Your 26/27 School Supplies Online!

Save time and money on back-to-school supplies for 2026-27 and support your school community with Sprout School Supply Kits.

Order Online: Order Online Here
School Code: SES005
Order Deadline: July 7^th, 2026

Kits will be delivered to Stenwood prior to the 1st day of school. Watch school communications for details.

Early Release Wednesdays for 2026-27

FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year. The number of days has been reduced from eight to four.

Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with their peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.

Please view the dates for our school’s early release Wednesdays below:

September 30^th
November 18^th
January 13^th
April 7^th

Visit the FCPS website for more information about early release Wednesdays.

FCPS Calendar Survey

FCPS values your input as we plan future school calendars. On Friday, June 5^th, all caregivers and FCPS staff will receive an email from noreply@fcps.edu containing a unique link to complete the FCPS Calendar Survey.

Your feedback matters. Please take a few minutes to share your priorities and perspectives by Monday, June 22^nd, at 11:59 p.m.

Your individual responses will be kept confidential and will not be shared with school staff or used in any way that identifies you or your student. Only aggregate, summary-level results will be reported to the Fairfax County School Board.

If you do not receive a link to the survey or have technical difficulties completing the survey, please contact the FCPS Office of Research and Program Evaluation.

Summer Resources Help Students Stay Curious, Healthy, and Busy

FCPS’ Summer Resource Guide has activities and tips on a variety of subjects and interests, from camps and activities to health and safety resources.

Be sure to check back over the summer, as more resources may be added.

Learning Doesn’t Take a Vacation and Neither Does Fun! The FCPS Summer Learning webpage offers ideas and strategies for families to keep students curious until August. Summer is the perfect time to help your student explore new interests, reinforce concepts, and stay engaged!

Summer Meals for Students

Starting Monday, June 22^nd, no-cost meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis at the sites and times listed on the FCPS Summer Food Service Program webpage. Students must remain on site while eating their meals.

This year, thanks to generous support from Educate Fairfax, families may also receive one no-cost breakfast and lunch per adult at the following elementary schools: Braddock, Dogwood, Glen Forest, Hutchison, Hybla Valley, and London Towne.

Summer sites will continue to be added, so please check the Summer Food webpage regularly for updates.

Third Annual FCPS Puzzle Hunt Encourages Active Family Fun

The Solving Fun Puzzle Pals have been busy getting ready for the 3^rd Annual Fairfax County Public Schools Puzzle Hunt, and it kicks off in only three weeks!

This free event is open to solvers of all ages and is a great way to keep students and families engaged in fun, creative problem-solving over the summer. It also teaches bike and pedestrian safety and encourages active transportation.

New this year: The school with the most solvers will win a special visit from Sue Doku! Sign up for the Puzzle Hunt!

Please Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance

It’s a busy time of year, and we know many priorities are on your plate. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to check your student’s MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Families who earn less than 185% of the poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals (FRM). However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2026-27 school year will be available this summer.

If you have a current balance and think you may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application for the 2025-26 school year.

Summer Immunization Events for All FCPS Students

Inspire Health Alliance, in partnership with FCPS, will be providing school-required immunizations this summer. Immunizations will be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to students or families. Registering families will be required to provide insurance information, if applicable, but students without insurance may still participate.

Visit the FCPS and Inspire Health Alliance Student Immunization Events webpage for dates, times, and locations. Additional event dates will be made available and shared four to five weeks prior to the event on the webpage. Additional immunization resources are also available.

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 1^st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Purple Up Day! is April 15^th, drawings for it would be due by March 1^st. 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!