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Dear Franklin Sherman ES Parents/Guardians,
As the calendar turns toward the close of the year, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to every member of our school community for making the start of this academic year such an outstanding success.
The energy, commitment, and positive spirit displayed by our students, staff, and parents have been truly remarkable. This week you will see in your student's take home folder our mid year celebrations flyer. We truly have so much to celebrate and wanted to capture our successes to share with the community.
I wish you all the happiest of holidays filled with peace and joy, and a safe and restful break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready to continue our excellent work in 2026!
Sincerely,
Farris Thomas
Principal
Franklin Sherman ES
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December 15 Full Time AAP Referral Deadline
December 15 - 20 Winter Break Spirit Week
December 20 - January 4 Winter Vacation
FCPS Calendar: 2025-26
Franklin Sherman Calendar
Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Christy Stoermann, AART today.
Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.
Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.
Next Steps for Parents
Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026.
At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year.
At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
Next week, December 15-20 we will celebrate winter vacation with a spirit week. All students, staff, and visitors to the school are invited to participate.
Monday
Buddy Day, Inspired by Buddy the Elf find a friend and dress like twins
Tuesday
Twinkle & Tinsel Day, Dress with sparkles, tinsel, and twinkly lights
Wednesday
Candy Cane Color Day, Dress like a candy cane with red and white
Thursday
Warm PJ & Onsie Day, Wear your warmest winter pajamas or a festive onsie
Friday
Ugly Sweater & Holiday Hat Day, Find you funniest or ugliest sweater and maybe wear a wintery hat as well
FCPS Math Week is coming! A full week of family time with stories, games, and math activities in English and Spanish for families with students in K-6.
#stmath #mathweek
FCPS CARES
Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team at Franklin Sherman? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration party from HR. Celebrate our wonderful staff today!
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Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5)
FCPS participates in Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5). VQB5 is Virginia’s system for measuring and supporting quality in early childhood programs so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. VQB5 builds on health and safety standards by measuring the quality of teacher-child interactions and the use of curriculum. Refer to “VQB5 for Families English/Spanish” for more information.
Attendance Matters
Reporting Student Absences
We are committed to partnering with families to promote positive attendance habits. Any day that your child is unable to attend school, parents should report the absence. By reporting absences, families are partnering with our staff so that everyone can make sure students are supported and have access to resources.
Full-day absences can be reported in SIS ParentVUE. Parents can also report absences by calling our school attendance line at [phone number] or emailing [attendance email address]. School staff will call parents if students are absent, and our school has not been notified in advance.
Parents can monitor their child’s attendance records in SIS ParentVUE.
When Your Child Is Sick
It is also important to keep your child home when they are sick. The Can My Child Go to School? webpage provides helpful recommendations on when to keep your child home.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- FCPS Showcases Success
- Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings
- Winter Resources for Families
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
FCPS participates in Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5). VQB5 is Virginia’s system for measuring and supporting quality in early childhood programs so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. VQB5 builds on health and safety standards by measuring the quality of teacher-child interactions and the use of curriculum. Refer to “VQB5 for Families English/Spanish” for more information.
Wait Until 8th Pledge
The Wait Until 8th Pledge is a growing national movement empowering parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until the end of 8th grade. Our PTA recently launched this campaign at Franklin Sherman, and so far 72 families have chosen to delay giving their children a smartphone until high school. Please check out the Wait Until 8th resources, this podcast, or borrow The Anxious Generation from the front office if you want to learn more about the benefits of delaying smartphone use. Or click here to sign the pledge today!
Winter Activity Registrations are Live!
The PTA is proud to offer several winter classes for students before and after school. Please remember that you must be a PTA member to register. If you have not yet joined, you can do so here.
Art Club - Grades K-4 on Thursdays from 4:05 - 5:05 pm Register
Chess - All Grades - Wednesdays before school, 8:15 - 9:15 am Register
Karate - Grades K-2 on Tuesdays from 4:10-5:10 pm Register
Karate - Grades 3-6 on Thursdays from 4:10-5:10 pm Register
Sports Spectacular - All grades on Wednesdays from 4:10-5:10 pm Register
Lunch with a Panda
We are thrilled to invite you to "Lunch with a Panda."
Submit this Reservation Form to let us know about your visit.
Important Details:
- This form creates a reservation for 1 parent at a time (if both parents wish to visit for lunch the form must be submitted twice)
- There are at most 3 reservations available per grade per day
- Reservations will only become available 1 week in advance
- If a date does not appear in the list of choices it is either because there are no more reservations available for that day, or the school calendar/schedule of events does not allow us to have lunchtime visitors
Yearbook Cover Contest
This year’s theme for our yearbook is “Keep on Growing!” Thank you to Rory G in 4th Grade for coming up with this theme!
The theme "Keep On Growing" is about celebrating the amazing progress, learning, and changes you experienced throughout this school year. Just like a tiny seed sprouts and becomes a big, strong plant, you have all grown so much—getting smarter, making new friends, discovering new talents, and learning how to be the best you can be. This theme encourages us to look forward to all the wonderful things we will continue to learn and achieve as we keep moving up. It reminds us that every day is a chance to learn something new and become a better person!
All students have been given a sheet of directions to follow for entering the contest, but families who need an extra copy of the contest directions can download with the link. Please follow all of the directions on the handout carefully and get the cardstock paper from Ms. Eaton.
Prepare for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
Invitation from Longfellow MS
Longfellow Middle School will be hosting a Curriculum Night for rising 7th grade families (current 6th grade students) at Longfellow MS on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 p.m.
This evening session aims to provide parents with information that will help their incoming 7th grade student with the transition to middle school. Families will have the opportunity to explore elective course offerings and hear from a variety of Longfellow staff about the courses and programs offered to 7th grade students. Students and staff will also be available to answer questions.
If inclement weather occurs, the event will be rescheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
We look forward to welcoming you to Longfellow!
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