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Dear Woodburn Community,

It has been a difficult week following the heartbreaking news of the passing of our cherished principal, Kanchana Iyer. Mrs. Iyer was a deeply inspirational leader whose warmth, humor, dedication, and passion left an indelible mark on Woodburn Elementary. Her loss is profoundly felt by our students, staff, and families.

We have been deeply moved by the extraordinary outpouring of support from our parents and community, our School Board Member Dr. Anderson, our Superintendent Dr. Reid, our Region 2 Administrators Ms. Cage, Ms. Barnes and Dr. Menuey, our central office Wellness Team and Crisis Support Teams, and outreach from our neighboring schools and offices. Your kindness, encouraging words, and thoughtful gestures have brought comfort to our staff and school community. We are profoundly grateful for your compassion as we navigate this collective grief.

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to carrying her legacy in everything we do. Our community will continue to honor Ms. Iyer’s memory through our hard work, unity, and steadfast commitment to the goals and vision she set for our school.

We will miss her very much, and we will hold her memory close to our hearts.
With sincere gratitude and sympathy,

Jamey Chianetta

Interim Principal, Woodburn Elementary School

Upcoming Events

September 4 - No School - Labor Day Break 

September 7 - No School - Labor Day Break 

September 9 - PTA Clean Kitchen Night, Silver Diner, 5:00 – 8:00pm

September 10 - PTA Membership Meeting, 6:30 – 8:00pm

September 15 - Back to School Night, 6:00 - 7:30pm 

September 21 - No school - Yom Kippur

September 23 - AAP Continuum of Services, 5:30 - 6:30pm, Woodburn Library

September 25 - Hispanic Heritage Festival, 5:30 - 7:30pm

October 14 - Full-Time AAP Identification, 5:30 - 6:30pm, Woodburn Library

⏰ Early Release Days for Elementary Schools 

​​​​​​​While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 1:05 on early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families may require childcare. These students will be supervised by school-based staff. No new instruction will take place, as after-school care is strictly supervision.

In order to help us prepare for early release Wednesday’s, we are requesting that families complete our Woodburn Early Release Wednesday Form. Our form includes additional information about student dismissal that will help us in our planning. Your response will be updated by the school in the Parent Digital Consent system. Our Early Release Wednesday days are:

• September 30
• November 18
• January 13
• April 7

Families need to make their selection by Monday, September 14, to receive care for all early release Wednesdays.

Thank you for your support in helping us plan for Early Release Wednesday's. 

Transportation Patience and Safety

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus. 

If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.

In Loving Memory of Principal Kanchana Iyer

Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE

Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates. 

• Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

• Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”

• Check your child’s immunization records and submit updates. Please visit the How to Submit Immunization Documentation webpage for step-by-step instructions. 

Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources

Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Opt In or Out to Student Devices Being Sent Home for Grades 1-6

New this year, families can opt out of having student laptops sent home with their student. 

• If you do not want your student to bring their FCPS-issued device home, please toggle the Opt Out button to a check mark and confirm by pressing Save Selection.
• If you would like your student to bring their FCPS device home, no toggle action is needed. Confirm by pressing Save Selection. 

Students whose families opt out will continue to have access to an FCPS-issued device during the school day. Please reach out to your student’s teacher to understand expectations for homework and any learning activities that may require access to technology outside of the school day.

In Loving Memory of Principal Kanchana Iyer

Advanced Academic Programs

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K-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 3-7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15, 2026.
• Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2-7 may be referred by December 15, 2026.

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 Tests (NGAT).
• Students in Grades 3-6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
• Students in Grades 3-6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Kelley Dauberman, krdauberman@fcps.edu, and Jessica Nelson, jnnelson@fcps.edu, the School Co - Testing Coordinators by September 30.

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

• AAP Continuum of Services: Wednesday, September 23 at 5:30 -6:30 in the Woodburn Library. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.

• Full-Time AAP Identification: Wednesday, October 14 at 5:30 - 6:30 in the Woodburn Library. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Khan, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher , at nhkhan@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website

Thank You for Your Care and Support ❤️

We are incredibly grateful for the kindness and support shown by our PTA and families this week. Thank you to the Longstreet family for dropping off coffee and pastries at the start of the week, and to everyone who helped make this thoughtful gesture possible.

We also extend a special thank-you to Founding Farmers Catering and Megan Zebrak for generously providing a delicious lunch for our staff. The care, comfort, and generosity shown by our PTA community mean so much to us, especially during this difficult time.

Clean Kitchen Night at Silver Diner in Merrifield

Wednesday, September 9 | 5:00–8:00pm

Take the night off from cooking and support Woodburn at the same time! Join us at Silver Diner in Merrifield for Clean Kitchen Night. Whether you dine in or order to go, 20% of sales will be donated back to our school. Enjoy a delicious meal while supporting our Woodburn community!

Be Part of Something Special - Join Our PTA!

Our PTA brings families, teachers, and staff together to support our students and strengthen our school community. Whether you can volunteer often, help occasionally, or simply become a member, everyone is welcome and every contribution matters. Together, we can create meaningful experiences and make Woodburn an even more special place for our students and families.

Please click here to join today! 

In Loving Memory of Principal Kanchana Iyer

PTA Membership Meeting

Thursday, September 10 | 6:30–8:00pm

Join us for our first PTA Membership Meeting of the school year in the Woodburn Cafeteria! Learn more about how the PTA supports our Woodburn community, meet the PTA Board, vote on this year’s budget, and hear important updates from Woodburn leadership, including information about what it means to be a Title I school.

Dinner: 6:30–7:00pm
Meeting: 7:00–8:00pm

Childcare and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival 

Friday, September 25 | 5:30–7:30pm

The PTA is excited to welcome families to our 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival! Come celebrate with an alpaca petting experience, inflatable obstacle course, crafts, a dance performance, a parade of traditional clothing, and more! Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Transportation will be provided from Fairmont Gardens. Stay tuned for more details!

Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Reid

Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life. 

A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division. You are invited to share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates at 6:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted):

• Wednesday, September 16, 6:45 p.m., at McNair Elementary School
• Monday, September 28, at Riverside Elementary School
• Monday, October 19, at Spring Hill Elementary School
• Monday, October 26, at Beech Tree Elementary School
• Thursday, October 29, at North Springfield Elementary School
• Friday, November 13, at Colin Powell Elementary School

Registration links will be shared soon. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are one-hour long and open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid. 

The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 1: Strong Start, Pre-K-12

The FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts. 

The first goal of the strategic plan focuses on each and every student having a strong start in FCPS. Whether they’re joining us in preschool or in high school, we want our students to be set up for success.See how Goal 1 is being put into practice. Learn more about or enroll in FCPS Pre-K or Early Head Start.